carrement…

Choose three very different types of fabric. Create two garments using only rectangular pieces of cloth. One garment will be made out of only one of the different materials, and the second will be made out of the remaining two.

 

Carrement….cozy. Made out of a loose cotton-polyester knit fabric, this top envelops the body in a warm embrace. Layering squares of fabric on top of each other gives a new structure to the material.

Carrement…drapé. Two materials that differ in their elasticity, their thickness and their print. The top part of this dress is composed of four squares of fabric, and the skirt is one rectangle.

surround.

Concept : a collection inspired by a large contemporary painting loosely based upon sea anemone. The amplified volumes resemble oversized cushions, inviting us to cede to their enveloping embrace. Surround is a collection of oversized outerwear mixed with sleek loose-fitting pants and tops.

Colors.

Preliminary sketches.

Propositions.

Textile research.

acesssory collection

confluence fashion show.

Fashion Moment, the culmination of the Confluence projet, was held on April 24th, 2014 at Le Sucre in the very district from which the models in the fashion show were inspired!

Be sure to check out the sketches and the slide show of the creation process of the two garments !

confluence fashion show : making of.

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After having chosen two models from my portfolio on the architecture of the Confluence district of Lyon, I spent the last four months constructing and sewing them for a fashion show held on April 24th. Here is the “making of” comprised of photos of the different stages of the process.

First dress: cotton organdy, cotton canvas, boning, wood, acrylic paint

Second dress: Silk twill, cotton organdy (necklace)

la rencontre.

Every piece of clothing has a story. Sometimes these stories coincide, clash, compliment or oppose each other. Choose two pieces of clothing and a toy, and tell their stories. Draw each item, with its context, representing the material and details aptly.

Take everything apart.

Create new pieces by combining the various parts of the deconstructed garments and the toy, taking care to integrate the toy in such a way as to give structure to your new garment. Draw your propositions, with the new, transformed context or the one that continues from your first drawing.

Choose your final proposition, assemble it, then draw it in its final form. Choose a model to wear your new creation and take it in photography, choosing carefully the location, the pose and then representation.

The items:

• A green coat, retro-inspired. A Christmas gift from my aunt 5 years ago. A coat that has travelled the world, that has survived the grime of the metro stops in Paris, the nervous twisting of buttons before a job interview, the strain of wrapping it tight around my body against the wind and rain in Lyon; that has been put on in vain on a gloomy day in hopes of uplifting my mood with its bright cheery color and whimsical patterend lining; that has been borrowed, packed away, and rediscovered.
• A pair of navy blue denim pants, brand-new, found on sale for the low price of 5€ at H&M in January. A basic. Nothing to get excited about. Bought because, well, why not. Then forgotten on the train platform, abandonned in its fresh paper shopping bag, next to a bench, in limbo, waiting to be found by an unsuspecting passenger.
• A slinky, a classic toy. So simple in its construction and its ability to amuse, yet so complex in the mathematics behind it. A toy revealed beneath the ripped cheap wrapping paper on Christmas morning to a curious kid decked out in flannel pajamas. Hours spent at the top of the narrow staircase in the old San Francisco apartment, launching the slinky down the stairs, seeing how fast it would go. Look how it goes all on its own!

The final proposition:

The chosen garment is composed of two parts: a bustier with a pointed tail, and a cape. The bustier is made from the coat lining with a peplum made from the pant legs that ends in a long point in the back. The cape is made of the coat body folded in half and turned in on itself, with overlapping bands that snap shut in the front. The back hugs the body, with a waist band that keeps it secure. The collar is made of two slinkies, one on top of the other, and secured with transparent thread. The ends of the slinky keeps the cape edges straight at the shoulders.

A teenager, holding on dear to childhood innocence, travels with this top and cape, bestowed with a magic that transforms dim metro stations and bleak train platforms with a whimsical flair. It is an armor which protects her from banality, and brings colorful adventure to her travels along public transportation.

aqueous state.

A series of four textile propositions, inspired by the different tranformations of water (thick fog, wispy steam, morning dew, condensation on an airplane window, iciles, etc.).

Materials used: water-based ink, alcohol-based markers, nail polish remover, bleach, polyester, tulle, embroidery thread, small beads, bubble wrap, lighter, cellophane, tracing paper, glue gun, cotton pads

Textile n°1

Textile n°1 detail

Textile n°2

Textile n°2 detail

Textile n°3 (print)

Textile n°3 detail

Textile n°4

Textile n°4 detail

Clothing propositions

confluence.

Inspired by the architecture in the newly constructed Confluence district of Lyon, you are to create two garments that will be walked down the runway in April 2014.

Steps:

1. Take photographs of the buildings that inspire you
2. Experiment graphically with the images, letting your creativity flow.
3. From your drawings and 2D artistic expressions, create a 3D rendition, giving form to a type of garment.
4. Experiment with forms on the body
5. Come up with propositions for your runway outfits.
6. With the input of your professors, choose two of the propositions to create.
7. Create the final drawings of your propositions.

figurine portfolio – an exercise in drawing fashion design figurines.

Test your creativity and explore different techniques in order to graphically represent clothing, texture and color through a series of various exercises. Peruse fashion magazines and find four male and four female models (photos need to be heat-to-toe). Compile a portfolio of fashion design figurines  (64 in total) in which you will show your creative license in sketching proportionally correct models in their various outfits. Start with the construction of your models, then practice different graphic techniques (drawing with your left hand, drawing without looking at your paper, drawing using one continuous line, etc. Next, experiment with paper cut-outs and ink stains. Finally, draw four figurines in mixed technique, along with four male figurines in outfits you create inspired by photos you choose.

Note: this is an exercise and not a final project, so do not feel inhibited to venture outside of your comfort zone in trying new techniques.

Models used for this exercise

Ex 1. Figurine Construction :

Ex 2. Graphic representation : exercise different types of graphic techniques (clockwise from top left – construction, left hand drawing, blind drawing, continuous line drawing)

Ex 3. Cut-outs : using various types of paper (construction paper, magazine cutouts, etc) recreate the models trying to stay as true to colors and textures as possible.

Ex 4. Ink : without doing any prior sketching or graphic technique, represent the models in watercolor and ink, taking advantage of the bleeding and aqueous properties of the technique.

Ex 5. Mixed Technique : represent models using cutout, ink and graphic techniques of your choice

Ex 6. Menswear Collection in mixed technique : taking inspiration from three male model images, create four tenues for a menswear collection.

figurine sketches.

With the information given in class, draw the female figurine proportionally correct from the following viewpoints: front, profile, relaxed hip, and three-quarters. Note that proper proportions for a fashion figurine are slightly skewed.

Woman, frontal view

Woman, hip leaning to the left

Woman, profile

Woman, three-quarter view

After correctly drawing the female figure, repeat the exercise with the male figurine: front, profile and relaxed hip.

Man, frontal view

Man, profile

Man, hip leaning to the left

transparency and reflection.

Create a still life with a wine glass filled half-way with colored water and a marble against a primary colored background. Sketch the still life and then use soft pastels to render the drawing, observing and carefully representing the reflections and the transparency of the objects.

the second life of a blazer.

Create another item of clothing (a dress, a skirt, a corset, a pair of pants, a vest, etc.) out of a ready-to-wear blazer. This new piece must present the characteristic elements of the blazer by reusing the different pieces without cutting them, taking advantage of the formal characteristics of the blazer. After a careful study of the blazer, create 4 research propositions. Choose the most pertinent design and sew the final piece.

I used the lining of the blazer sleeves to create the bust, with the elbow patches peeking at the neckline. It contrasts nicely against the structured tulip skirt, which keeps the characteristics of the blazer, but shows them off in a different and unconventional fashion.

And here is the final dress, displayed at the Open House :

nude model portfolio.

For 15 weeks, we have studied nude models in various techniques in order to develop a working knowledge of the porportions of the human body, various artistic mediums and the relationship between the technique used and the subject captured.

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marine motifs.

Gaining inspiration from images of sea life and underwater landscapes, create four marine life-themed motifs that could be replicated in fabric. Experiment with different tools and materials, and incorporate texture as well as pattern and color.

self portraits.

Through 3 self portraits, use different graphic techniques to express a different personal character trait in each work. Gain inspiration from artists that you admire. No size or material constraints.

Paint-by-Numbers, watercolor and Pen, January 2013

Where in the World?, pen and colored pencil, February 2013

The Painter, acrylic on canvas, February 2013

white on white.

Taking inspiration from the paper textures, create three 15 x 15cm tiles of varying textures done in white cotton.

ruffles and dots

embroidery and fringed flowers

quilted tiles of fabric with threads removed and fringe